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Experiencing the great care, compassion and pride of Regions staff

Tom Kingston

Before Tom Kingston received spine surgery at Regions, he and his wife, Mary, had been long-time hospital benefactors. "We donated to Regions because it served everyone in the community, including those who couldn't pay for treatment," Tom said. "In that time I've seen Regions also become a destination hospital, providing the highest quality care. I consider myself lucky I received the same care I've been hearing about all these years."

In January 2014, Tom was at his cabin, five hours from the Twin Cities, when he injured his back. "It was very painful. I knew I had to come home and get serious medical attention," Tom said.

Tom had suffered an injury to his lower vertebrae that threatened his spinal cord. His primary care physician took an MRI and referred him immediately to Alejandro Mendez, MD, a neurosurgeon at Regions. "Dr. Mendez’s team carefully explained all of our options, the pros and cons of each and the recovery time we could expect. We made a decision and I was in surgery the next day. The speed at which everything happened was most impressive."

The surgery went well and Tom spent three days at Regions as he recovered. "The respect, concern and compassion displayed by the staff was absolutely superb. Every time someone performed a procedure they explained why they were doing it. My safety was always on their minds, along with the education of Mary and me."

Tom was also impressed by the sense of pride hospital staff expressed in their work at Regions. "It always came up in my discussions with them. They told me why they sought out Regions as their employer and why they so valued working there."

Besides being a donor, Tom had been on the hospital board for nine years before becoming a patient, "but I never told the staff I was on the board and I don’t think they ever knew," Tom said. "They're clearly fantastic professionals and provided me with the same outstanding care they give to everyone else, day in and day out."

Two months after surgery, Tom's recovery is right on schedule. "I'm very grateful for the experience I had at Regions," Tom said.